What if fashion , before satisfying a need, should first and foremost serve a function? This is certainly the positioning that has made the Avnier brand so successful. Since its creation more than 10 years ago, the brand has carved out a prime spot in the technical wardrobes of creatives from all backgrounds. It was among the winners of the French Federation of Women's Ready-to-Wear's Role Model Awards, revealed in December 2025, which aim to highlight brands that are reinventing fashion through a community lens.

Avnier, a streetwear brand at the crossroads of fashion and music

It all began in the early 2010s. Lausanne-based art director Sébastian Strappazzon was then at the helm of Alias ​​One, a brand he founded in the late 1990s. Its identity was deeply rooted in the street and skate culture of French-speaking Switzerland at that time, fueled by his BMX riding, graphic design, and a DIY aesthetic. From its inception, Alias ​​One has been associated with various closely linked cultural scenes: independent music, the skate scene, photography, and more. Strappazzon, a former plasterer originally from the Jura region, is himself a hip-hop fan and sees clothing as a medium of expression, just like a record or a visual artwork. A discreet yet respected name, Alias ​​One distinguishes itself through its graphic approach and its founder's commitment to sustainable manufacturing quality. Established French rappers and rap groups such as Sheryo, Casey, Kalash, Grems, and DABAAZ took an interest in his brand, and Sébastian Strappazzon began designing their outfits. He developed a special bond with one of them, Orelsan. The artist eventually wore almost exclusively the artistic director's clothing, who accompanied him to numerous concerts. In 2013, during the penultimate concert of the Casseurs Flowters tour (the duo formed by Orelsan and Gringe, active from 2000 to 2016), the two decided to take their collaboration a step further and co-found the label Avnier, a contraction of "avant-dernier" (previously last).

For a long time, the partners simply offered pieces they themselves would have liked to wear on stage or in their everyday lives, and the public seemed receptive. But the entrepreneurial adventure took a real turn with a collaboration with the sportswear brand Umbro, historically specializing in football. " It's the jacket Orelsan wears in the 'Basique' music video, released in September 2017 ," recalls Myriam Aïlo, CEO of Avnier. " As soon as the video came out, the product was a huge success. It sold out in just a few hours. " Sébastian Strappazzon and Orelsan realized the potential of their brand, brought in a team, and began structuring both the commercial side and the management of the collections.

A brand rooted in the field, closely aligned with the needs of cinema, music, and creative industries.

In the music and rap industries, it's not uncommon to see artists go beyond merchandising and surround themselves with an artistic and commercial direction team to launch a full-fledged ready-to-wear brand (Que La Famille by the group PNL, Visionnaire by Bigflo & Oli, Disconnected by Booba, etc.). For a while, Avnier positioned itself this way, and the streetwear brand gained legitimacy and experience. Then, in 2020, after the pandemic, the label pivoted and decided to specialize, becoming the premium workwear brand for audiovisual professionals (" audiovisual workwear "). Rather than remaining mainstream, it specifically targeted the film and music sectors, as well as other areas of the cultural industries: " Avnier clothing has a function closely linked to its design, but it's for anyone who wants to be creative, " Myriam Aïlo told French Touch. The founders, themselves accustomed to the field and inspired by the same worlds, do not wish to impose a classic work uniform, but to offer a line of clothing associated with specific situations.

“ To design our products and ensure they are functional, high-performing, and durable, we have prototypes tested directly by professionals in real-world conditions. We observe how creatives work, their habits, we ask them questions, and we gather use cases ,” explains Myriam Aïlo. “ For example, we spent almost two years developing a jacket for cinematographers and directors, designing it with compartments for SD cards and walkie-talkies. It also included cable loops, hook-and-loop fasteners to display either the wearer's role or the film title, a space to show off their accreditation, and we even designed the pockets to accommodate different camera lens sizes. Of course, we wanted the jacket to be windproof, waterproof, multi-layered, and to have reflective panels for use in bad weather or when shooting at night.” "For each collection, the team uses feedback from a sample of creatives, and works on the design of the products so that they meet needs, but above all so that they have a real utility.

Avnier regularly outfits and equips numerous film and audiovisual productions: the crew of Ladj Ly's film Bâtiment 5 (2023) and Orelsan's Yoroï (2025), the production company Trente Zéro Sept during the filming of Damso's music video Chrome (2024), and more. The company has also been a partner of the Nikon Film Festival for three years and the Swiss Balélec festival for four years, and creates capsule collections for projects such as Sébastien Vaniček's films Vermines (2023) and Evil Dead Burn (2026). And all this without ever neglecting style: " Avnier aims to provide functional yet stylish clothing; our strength lies in successfully combining the two. The aesthetics of the garment remain important; you can be a cinematographer and still be stylish ," emphasizes the managing director.

What distribution model is suitable for a brand specializing in "audiovisual workwear"?

Avnier frequently collaborates with other well-known ready-to-wear brands, such as the Intervalles capsule collection with Saint-James unveiled in December 2025, and continues to focus on its apparel offerings. According to the director, the label is pursuing its development despite the upheavals in the fashion industry, which have forced it to revise its distribution model: “ The textile industry took a hit with the arrival of Shein, and the multi-brand stores that carried us found themselves in difficulty. We then made the decision, at least for the time being, to concentrate on our online store and pop-up shops. Ultimately, this has also allowed us to regain a certain freedom, to break free from the two imposed annual collections (fall/winter and spring/summer) , and to manage our own production and marketing schedule .” Its ambition remains the same: to outfit all audiovisual productions in France, Europe, and around the world, while remaining attentive to the needs of the industry.